The Coca-Cola trail… sounds familiar? A number of trails could have gotten that smear-name on Kilimanjaro, but Coca-Cola refers to the classic, Marangu trail. The reason for the nick? It’s crowded as a boulevard in Paris on a sunny afternoon. You see, every year, more and more people from all over the world come to climb Kilimanjaro, the Sacred Mountain of Africa. We invite you to come along for this very popular trek, but on a more authentic trail than what everyone and their brothers are doing.

There is a reason for the crowds on Kilimanjaro – the trek is amazing, it is relatively easy (it’s among the easiest 5,000-meter peaks you can do), but you shouldn’t have to suffer from herds of tourists on one of Earth’s most magnificent mountains.

Let me introduce you to the Umbwe trail. It is said to be the most difficult, but we’ve hardly had anyone not summiting via this route. (The only reason it’s said to be more difficult than the others is that the beginning of the trail starts kind of steep and you ascend faster. But from Day 2 or 3 on, it’s no tougher than any other trail).

D graded climbs None of our package trips do this level, but you can request an expert to accompany you for your D or higher graded project.

Culture shock grading

As far as the cultural environment of your country/area of destination, we have set up grades to indicate what degree of culture shock you may expect.

Your usual cultural environment, no big surprises in relation to Anglo/Saxon way of life

A little different than what you are used to at home, but no big suprises

Your trip is a cultural experience in itself, with amusing differences form what you're used to at home.

This is a different world; you have to significantly alter your expectations and behaviour.

Possibility of extreme culture shock; forget any rules you may have brought from home, life runs completely differently than what you can even dream up.

Physical Difficulty

3

Technical Difficulty

1

Cultural Shock

3

Itinerary

Note: You can acclimatise with us by climbing Mt.Meru (4,566m) in a fascinating 4-day trip.

Day 1: Arrival to Nairobi, Kenya or Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania

Meet the team at either Nairobi airport or in Tanzania. In the latter case, skip to Day 2, because everyone who flies Nairobi starts a day earlier and stays in Kenya’s capital for the night.

Day 2: Travel to the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro

‘This the day to take your first pics of Kili. From Kenya, you take a 5-hour busride towards the Tanzanian border through savannas. You get to have a glimpse at what life in these Central African villages is like. Churches towering in the middle of nowhere, a lonely zebra or a giraffe by the roadside… Crossing the border will take some time, but relax, things are proceeding in African rhythm. It’s part of the cultural experience 🙂

If you fly straight to Kili airport, you join the team sometime in the afternoon in Moshi, which is where everyone stays tonight in a guesthouse.

You get your permit for the park in the morning, then hop on a bus and ride to Umbwe’s trailhead. You also pass everything to the porters, except for the few things you’ll need during the hike – your water bottle, rain jacket, food, camera, sunglasses, sunscreen. Your guide will help you put the daily pack together so that you do not carry unnecessary weight.

Relatively few trekkers choose this trail, so it’s pretty likely that you’ll have it to yourselves. The most scenic part of the mountain, its most beautiful forests reward you for the slightly steeper trail. From the first mile on, you’ll be very happy for having chosen Umbwe. [Distance: 11 km; Vertical: up 1130 m; Time: 6 hours]

This is another tough day. From the tropical forest, you slowly emerge to brushland. Very exotic plants here. Some plants are poisonous, so don’t wander off the trail too far without having consulted the local guide. At 3,300 meters, you finally get a glimpse of the summit! Of course, you’re beginning to feel the first signs of oxygen-scarcity. You’re slowing down, but that’s OK, as you have plenty of time. Just take it easy.

The distance isn’t much, but the trail is getting steep up the Breach-wall. Technically, you’ll have no difficulty here, but some parts of the trail are narrow and exposed, so you need to watch your step. After a 6-7-hour hike, you get to a nice little field where you spend the night. [Distance: 9 km; Vertical: up 960 m; Time: 6-7 hours]

Day 5: An easy hike: Barranco Hut (3,900 m), Karanga Valley (4,000 m)

This is a pretty light day: you’re only hiking for about 3 hours and ascending a mere 100 meters. This serves as a rest day after the previous two, more strenuous ones.

The trail crosses the volcano’s main cone through grassland and dusty parts. This isn’t the prettiest day as far as scenery, but an important step in your acclimatisation. [Distance: 6 km; Vertical: up 100 m; Time: 3 hours]

After about an hour’s hike, the trail suddenly turns towards the summit and you begin a 5-hour ascent to Barafu Hut. This is where you spend the night. [Distance: 8 km; Vertical: up 600 m; TIme: 5 hours]

It’s summit day! Wakey-wakey at 2 AM. Your guide checks your oxygen saturation and blood pressure to make sure you’re all right to climb. You’re starting the summit climb in the dark. The last few hundred meters of climbing is in snow. To the West, the snowfields plunge below in the form of glaciers, which are predicted to melt in 20 years. Not only will Kilimanjaro’s aesthetic appeal suffer, but the most important source of fresh water will disappear from the region as well.

You’ll reach Uhuru peak at around noon. It’ll be perhaps your most memorable summit-celebration ever. You won’t spend a lot of time on the peak, because besides it being cold and windy, you’ll have to catch up with the porters who are waiting at Mweka Hut, a scary 2,800 meters below 🙂 You’ll definintely feel your knees. [Distance: 25 km; Vertical: up 1285 m, down 2800 m; Time: 14 hours]

Day 8: Mweka-Hut (3,100 m) – Moshi (990 m)

Today, only after about a three-hour descent, you walk into Mweka village. What a trek! The bus is waiting for you. This is where you say goodbye to the local guide and porters, who have, perhaps, become your good friends during the past few days. The van will fly you back to Moshi where you take your first shower in 6 days 🙂

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Your Guides

CBM's mountain guides have to meet serious professional and personal requirements before they can join our team. Their professional skills are measured according to an objective system of criteria. For climbing trips in the Alps, our guides must hold a valid IFMGA/UIAGM certification. Of course, we don't want you to be in uncool company, so we only work with guides we're happy to be around ourselves. Your CBM guide will know when to be empathic and when to give you a needed kick in the butt to make the most out of your trip. :)

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